Il Dieselgate did not stop Volkswagen. Despite the scandal, the German automaker overtook Toyota as the world's top car seller in 2016.
In fact, the Japanese giant stopped at 10,175 million cars sold globally, including the Daihatsu and Hino brands, against 10,312 million cars (+3,8% on an annual basis) by the Wolfsburg conglomerate.
Despite the heavy effects of Dieselgate, Volkswagen was boosted by growth on the Chinese market, while Toyota slowed down in the United States. In this way, the German company implemented its plan for world market leadership two years in advance, a goal it aimed to achieve by 2018.
